Welcoming Autumn

I’m particularly happy to welcome Autumn this year, with its crisp breezes and the promise of adventure.  Autumn Leaves, painted by Sir John Everett Millais, is a wonderful example of the beauty I find in the season.  It is an impressive example of a Pre-Raphaelite twilight and Millais has captured an unmistakable Autumn glow.  His … Read more

Will Emma Thompson’s latest film renew interest in the Pre-Raphaelites?

Matthew Cain, Culture Editor at Channel 4, delivers a wonderful and thought provoking piece on Emma Thompson’s new movie Effie and the possibility that it may renew interest in Pre-Raphaelite art. He says,“In 2012, we’re so familiar with the work of the Pre-Raphaelites that it’s easy to forget just how radical and revolutionary they were. … Read more

Pre-Raphaelite Marriage: Ruskin, Effie and Millais

John Ruskin was an an author, art critic, and social reformer who was an early champion of Pre-Raphaelite ideals.  Interestingly, he was also the patron who supported the work of Elizabeth Siddal. His marriage to  Euphemia Chalmers Gray, known as Effie, is universally described as a disaster.  The story goes that Ruskin rejected Effie on their … Read more